The Stars In Our Eyes
by MyJediLife
Summary: General Leia Organa Solo sends 2 of her best Jedi's (who also happen to be 2 of her 4 children) on a mission to Jakku to meet with a contact who has a map that will show the Resistance exactly where the First Order is hiding their factories, labor camps and outposts. When they encounter a slave who is Force sensitive and rescue her from her predicament, Ben Solo finds he rescued mu
1. The Jakku Incident - Part 1

**CHAPTER ONE: THE JAKKU INCIDENT – PART ONE**

Ben Solo brought the _Nevermore_ out of hyperspace, watching as the Outer Rim planet of Jakku came into view. This was his first glimpse of it, and he looked over at his older sister Jaina, shaking his head slightly. "Mom thinks we're going to find the maps to the First Order outposts and factories here on this sandbox? I am so sick of sand after that whole… ordeal… on Tatooine."

Jaina let a smile play on her lips as she remarked to her brother, "By ordeal, are you referring to the time when you were almost captured by Tusken Raiders and your older, kind and capable sister had to rescue you? I can see why you would be sick of sand after that, seeing as I recall you picking sand out of various orifices on your body for a few weeks afterwards. It could have been worse, you know. Jacen could have been there instead of me."

Ben rolled his eyes dramatically. "I'd still be tied up in one of their huts if Jacen had been there – but only because he would think it was funny or something." He navigated the ship into Jakku air space, answering the hailing frequency and waiting for them to get clearance to land at the Niima Outpost. Once given, he guided the Corellian light freighter to the appointed dock, waiting for his sister before opening the door and stepping out into the oppressive heat of Jakku. Giving BB-11 instructions to secure and monitor the ship, Ben looked at Jaina before heading into the small market.

"Where is Ebon supposed to be meeting us? There's not much in this sandbucket, is there?" Ben glanced over at his sister, reaching out with the Force to look for any danger. Not expecting to find anyone here who was Force sensitive, Ben was surprised as he sensed someone, someone with fledgling powers that hadn't yet been refined or trained.

People who weren't trained in using the Force could be dangerous once their powers started blossoming. Looking at Jaina, Ben thought to his sister through the Force – "Jai… can you feel it? Someone here is Force sensitive, though I don't think they know it. Uncle Luke will want to talk to them."

"Agreed," Jaina said out loud, sending out her own wave of the Force to search for any other obstacles they might encounter on their mission. Sensing nothing but heat and despair, Jaina shrugged at her brother before starting to make her way through the small market to the makeshift trading post.

As they made their way through the small crowds of scavengers and hired thugs, Ben sensed someone watching him. Turning his head slightly, his eyes met a girl's, her brown eyes curious, yet full of fear as she quickly looked down at the ground, the pitcher in her hand all but forgotten for a moment as she tried to catch her breath. Her face flushed, a lovely pink accenting the skin kissed hues as she spun around, quickly making her way to a table of laughing, jeering men. As Ben watched, one of them reached out, his hand finding the girl's rear before squeezing it roughly.

"Ben?" He heard his sister, his eyes turning to Jaina's for a moment, his voice low and full of anger as he said, "Sorry, Jai. Watching those thugs manhandle that poor girl." Lifting his chin towards where the girl was now pouring from the pitcher into one of the man's glasses, Ben waited for his sister to take in the scene as well. Jaina frowned before remarking , "She's unfortunately probably a slave, Ben. Not much we can do – these Outer Rim savages can get pretty defensive over their slaves. It wouldn't be any help to start a fight, brother." Knowing his sister was right, Ben nodded after another moment of silent observation before following her once more. They had a mission to complete, after all.


	2. The Jakku Incident - Part 2

Rey moved through the outpost with purpose, if she didn't get to Master Plutt within the next ten minutes to serve the wine with the afternoon meal, he would be sure to punish her. She hated being punished by him. Sometimes she went without food for days, sometimes she had to wash her Master's feet for him, or if he was in a very bad mood, he would threaten to give her for the night to one of his thugs. So far, she had been lucky, his hired concubines kept them occupied. Her friend Lesti was one of those girls, and had explained to her – in far too much detail – what exactly she had to do for them to satisfy their desires. It was, frankly, not something she was ever interested in experiencing for herself, no matter how much Lesti seemed to enjoy it. Maybe it was because Lesti was a Twi'lek, and she claimed that men liked having sex with her more because of that, and that she made far more money than human girls, as well as being treated better by the men.

Stopping in the middle of the pathway, Rey felt a prickle in her mind, a sense that someone was watching her. She had felt this before, last week when she somehow stopped the wine pitcher from falling, watching in fascination as it floated in midair for a moment before making its way back to the table she had bumped with her hip, or the week before that when she had made the exact wrench she was looking for come to her hand from across the room. Turning, she found that someone was indeed looking at her, a tall man with a shock of unruly black hair and expressive brown eyes. Her eyes widening and her skin coloring with shock and embarrassment, Rey let out a small squeak and turned and started walking quickly again, letting out the breath she hadn't known she was holding in as she approached the table where Plutt's Thugs sat eating, the masks over their faces pulled aside partially so they could eat. If one of them, or Master Plutt himself, had noticed the man staring at her, they would try to hurt him. Rey didn't want anyone to be hurt just because they happened to look at her, but here in Niima Outpost, Master Plutt ruled over everything and everyone, and Rey was his favorite slave. He was quite protective of her.

One of the men, the one she thought of as Snake because he acted and looked like one, reached out and grabbed her behind, and Rey squeaked as she straightened up quickly, splashing some wine on the table in her haste to try and get away from his hands. Finishing quickly, she avoided any more groping and moved away, making her way to the kitchen area. She knew she would be tasked with doing dishes as she was with every meal, and if she was late she would be punished. Letting out a small sigh, Rey glanced up at the sky as another transport made its way into the sky above Jakku, and once more she wished she could be aboard it. She wondered about the man she had seen earlier. Surely he had come here on a transport, and she wondered where he had come from. He was handsome, and the way he had carried himself had told her that he could probably handle himself in any situation. Swatting at a bug that was circling her head, Rey let out another long sigh before putting the man out of her thoughts and heading inside to complete her nightly chores.


	3. The Chase

Ebon was a slender, charming Cathar they had dealt with many times before. He had a definite crush on Jaina, and as he listened to them flirting, Ben had to resist the urge to roll his eyes as the male asked his sister when she was planning on leaving Jag for him. Of course, Jai had a quick witted answer for him, and Ben let his eyes wander over the people of Niima Outpost as he waited for them to get down to business. His job was to protect his sister while she negotiated with Ebon for the information their mother needed, and so Ben used the Force, throwing it outward to search for any trouble.

He stilled for a moment as he sensed the same signature of an untrained Force user that he had picked up earlier. The person was scared, even stressed right now, and in pain. Ben stood, murmuring an apology to Ebon and Jaina and sending a thought to his sister, "The person from earlier.. I know you can sense that. I need to go find out what's going on." Glancing at his sister, who gave him a slight nod to indicate she had hard and understood what he was doing, Ben concentrated on using the Force to help him locate whoever was in trouble.

…

Rey had figured Snake would be waiting for her when she left the kitchens. She hadn't expected him to have Mumbles with him, though. She detested Mumbles almost as badly as Snake – he was filthy, both in mind and body, yet she had to endure them or risk being punished. Looking around to establish the best exit for herself, she sighed audibly as the men accosted her, Snake in front of her, and Mumbles moving behind her. "What do you want?" Rey asked, trying to keep her voice bored.

"You," Snake answered, moving close enough so that she could smell his stinking breath. Honestly, did he lick the backside of a tauntaun or something? Mumbles said something behind her, though in fashion true to his nickname, she couldn't make it out. "Well, I don't want you, and I need to get to Master Plutt's place. It's my turn to bring him his night time snack. So, move out of my way!" Rey's chin lifted defiantly, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Snake. Snake reached out, grabbing her tunic and pulling her towards him, his lips meeting hers roughly. Biting down on his bottom lip, Rey brought a knee up into his groin, pushing backwards at the same time. Unfortunately, Mumbles grabbed her as she moved backwards, holding her in place as Snake recovered.

"You filthy little piece of Bantha shit! I will make sure Plutt has you cleaning the tauntaun pens before morning!" Snake yelled at Rey before slapping her across the face, her bottom lip splitting from the force of the strike. She felt the coppery taste of blood in her mouth, but instead of swallowing it, Rey spat it in Snake's face, her anger growing more and more with each passing second. How dare he think she was just an object to be pawed at? She might be a slave, but she was still a person!

Rey thrust her elbow backwards, connecting it sharply with Mumble's stomach, and as he doubled over she tried to make her escape. Snake reached out, trying to capture her once more, and that's when the oddest thing happened. Rey looked up, wishing she had something heavy to knock him out with – and that's when a large beam from the adjoining building snapped off suddenly, hitting him in the head. As he slumped over, she turned to run – and ran headlong into a man who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere at the opening to the alley.

…

Ben had been able to trace the Force signature easily through the small outpost, and as he reached the mouth of a small alley, he saw the slave girl from earlier being held by two men. He had to admire the fact that she stood up to them, and as she tried to make her getaway, he watched as she used the Force to rip a piece of the building off, slamming it into one of the men's heads. As she turned to run out of the alley, Ben stood still, waiting until she ran into him before he waved his hand slightly, using the Force to keep her from falling, lifting her to a standing position gently as he looked her over.

"Did.. did they.. hurt you?" Ben asked softly, doing his best to keep his anger at bay. Anger had no place in a Jedi's life, after all, only bringing on emotions that threw off focus. He couldn't stand for people being hurt, though, especially not a woman who was obviously smaller and vulnerable than a man.

One of the men stumbled into view then, and without thinking, Ben called his lightsaber to his hand, igniting it and saying softly, "You want to get your friend and go home. You never want to touch this woman again." The man mumbled something, and Ben had to strain to her him repeating the thought he had placed in his mind. Extinguishing his saber, Ben watched as the man picked up his smaller friend and scuttled out of the alley in the opposite direction.

Looking at the woman, Ben asked, "Are you okay? What's your name?"

…

Rey's eyes widened as she looked up at the man, recognizing him as the same man who had been watching her earlier. Somehow, she was hanging in midair for a moment, before some hidden force righted her on her feet, and she found herself standing again.

"How… how did that happen?" She asked softly, her face coloring as she spoke. She wasn't permitted to speak to strangers, and if Master Plutt found out, she would definitely be punished severely. Her face colored more as the man showed concern for her. No one had ever shown concern for her well being before, and Rey looked up into the man's concerned brown eyes. He was by far the tallest man she had ever seen, and her eyes followed his as he looked behind her, into the alley. Turning slightly, she watched as Mumbles approached. A green glow lit the alley and Rey's eyes widened more as she watched the man ignite some kind of laser sword, speaking softly to Mumbles. Amazingly, he wandered off, picking up Snake and making off with him on the opposite exit of the alley.

As the man looked at her once more after extinguishing his weapon, Rey shifted her gaze down to the ground before answering him. "I'm fine, thank you. I need to go, Master needs me at home and if he finds out I was speaking to an outsider he will be angry. I don't want to be punished." Rey started to push past the man before stopping, her hazel eyes meeting his once more briefly. "My name's Rey." Hurrying past him, Rey made her way to her Master's home, stopping briefly in the refresher to tend to her cut and now swollen lip.


	4. The Light In The Dark

_Snow is falling outside the_ Nevermore _, and Rey has her face pressed to the transperisteel, her hazel eyes round with wonder as she silently watches it fall, a smile on her face."Ben," she says, looking back at him, "It's beautiful!" Rey, fighting beside him with a lightsaber in hand. Rey, reaching out to him with a look of horror on her face. "Ben!" she yells. Hesitancy. Denial. Love. Passion. Trust. Happiness._

Ben stared blankly into the depths of the _Nevermore_ , swirling a glass of Chandrilian Raava around over and over again as he thought. He hadn't been able to keep the slave girl he had helped earlier – Rey – and her fetching hazel eyes out of his head since his vision from his meditation earlier. The fact that she was Force sensitive was also a problem for him to ponder, as she obviously needed training to harness her burgeoning powers effectively. His Uncle Luke was in agreement with him on that fact, Ben had spent a brief time talking with his Uncle earlier via holocomm. Since then, he had thought of little else but her.

"Ben Solo! Did you even hear me?"

"What? I'm sorry, Jai," Ben's eyes jerked up from the glass in his hand to his sister as she looked at him, obviously frustrated that he hadn't been listening to her. Huffing, Jaina rolled her eyes at her 'little' brother in frustration. "You've been a galaxy away since we got back from the Outpost and you talked to Uncle Luke. Really, Ben? What's on your mind?"

Sighing, Ben ran a hand through his hair, looking at his sister before downing the remnants of the Raava in his glass. " _She_ is. That slave girl – the Force sensitive one we found earlier? Uncle Luke wants me to make contact with her, offer her training at the Praxeum. I just, I've got a bad feeling about this."

Jaina sighed, not liking that her brother was in any amount of distress. "Ebon won't be back in touch for another four days – he has to 'retrieve the data' and return here, and apparently he doesn't trust anyone else to get it but himself, so we have four days. That should be enough time to speak with her. What's your plan?"

Jaina tilted her head to one side as she watched Ben. Usually, nothing fazed him, so seeing him nervous was something new to her. Clearly, he was troubled. "Ben… honestly, what's going on? Would you rather I make contact with the girl?"

Not wanting Jaina to know about the vision, Ben shook his head. "No, Uncle Luke tasked me with this. I just have a feeling that it's not going to be easy to convince her that she needs training." Pouring himself another glass of Raava, Ben knew he had to come up with a plan to find Rey when she was alone. He barely noticed as his sister shook her head and went into her own quarters for the night.

….

"You have greatly displeased me, Rey," Unkar Plutt was perched on a chair above Rey as she knelt before him, washing his feet as he had requested of her. "You know my boys are permitted to touch you if they choose to, and you acting upon that… I fear, Little One, that I will have to punish you, yes." Rey finished her task, drying his feet the way he liked them, hoping that he wouldn't decide to give her the worst punishment in his repertoire. "They told me you were talking to a man, too. One with a lightsaber. We don't talk to men, do we, little Rey? Especially not Jedi! Maybe I should take away your little house, yes? Make you sleep with the other girls?"

Rey's eyes widened at Plutt's words, and she bit her bottom lip to keep from crying. Her master didn't like it when his slaves cried, and she would be punished even more severely if she did so. "I didn't talk to him, Master. He just showed up at the end of the alley and lit that stick and then your boys just walked off, muttering something. I couldn't hear what they said. After that I ran around him and came straight here to tend to you. Please, Master… I will never speak to a man. I know better."

Rey couldn't lose her home. The AT-AT was the only place she could truly be herself, and she had collected tiny treasures here and there throughout her life. She was lucky her Master still let her live there after her parents had sold her to him. It was the only place she found a little peace.

Standing now, Rey's head stayed bowed, her eyes on the floor. She would show Master Plutt that she was a good slave to him, and maybe, just maybe, she could go home to her own hammock tonight to sleep.

"Oh, Little Rey. You don't disappoint me as much as the other slaves. I will let you keep your house for now. If I catch you talking to another man, though, you will come to live here, and will sleep with the other girls. Now, you are excused for the night. Before you go home, go see Marska for your punishment. He has not punished anyone yet today, so I know it will make him happy to see you."

Rey was shaking as she left her Master's house. Marska was his brother, and took delight in being Plutt's enforcer when his slaves stepped out of line. He wouldn't care that she was tiny compared to him, and he was very good with the whip he carried with him everywhere. She could only hope that he was drunk. When Marska was in his cups, he tended to swing a little lighter, and lose count of how many strikes he had given a person.

Knocking with a trembling hand on Marska's door, Rey stepped inside when told to do so, her head bowed and a lump in her throat. "M-Master Plutt said I was to come here to…to b-be punished, Master Marska.." Rey's voice sounded tiny, even to herself, as she spoke.

Marska let out an angry growl before standing and moving so quickly that Rey didn't know what was happening until she was dangling a foot off the ground, her face stinging from the slap Marska issued with his fat palm. She felt her old cut open up, a new trickle of blood starting to flow down her chin.

"You! I was winning at sabacc, I had to come home to deal with you, slave scum!" Marska howled in her face, his stinking breath making her want to gag. His punch to her gut made all the air leave her body, and as he tossed her against the wall, her head collided with the ground, a bolt of pain coursing through her head and her vision dimming. With another roar, Marska picked her up off the floor, forcing her to stand facing the wall. She was breathing heavy, trying to swallow around the knot in her throat.

The first lick of Marska's whip across her back sent red hot heat streaking through her body, a whimper escaping her lips. She mustn't cry, though. If she did, Marska would give her even more lashes than usual. He didn't like when you cried when he was punishing you – Rey had learned that the hard way at the age of seven. She had started to cry after the first snap to her back, and Marska had been so angry he had given her fifteen lashes. It had taken her two weeks before she could move without crying.

Rey closed her eyes, trying to picture her ocean desperately. She had heard a trader once talking about the ocean on some planet she had never heard of before called Chandrila. The woman had said it was so large and so blue that you couldn't see the end of it, and it had all manners of life living within its waters. Rey had tried to picture that ever since, when it was late at night and she was trying to sleep. Once, she had even dreamed about it, and a cozy house sitting alongside it, a house with a backyard that was green and lush, ending on a small beach. Before the next strike came, Rey saw her ocean swim into view, and she tried to imagine swimming in its waters, lying on the beach with the sun kissing her face.

With her ocean in her mind, she hardly noticed the last four lashes, only opening her eyes when Marska grabbed her wrist and turned her around forcefully. "Get out of my sight, little scum, before I decide to punish you more. I have a pod race to watch. Good money I can make on it! Leave!" Marska kept hold of her wrist, pulling her to the door before opening it and pushing her unceremoniously into the street.

 _I won't cry. I won't cry. I won't cry._

Heading to the small speeder that Plutt allowed her to use to go between her AT-AT and the outpost, Rey repeated that mantra in her head over and over. Getting on the speeder and heading home, she continued the mantra. She wouldn't waste her tears on Unkar Plutt, after all. He wasn't worth them.

Pulling the speeder up to her home, Rey finally felt like she could breathe again as she entered her small living space. Fumbling around in a small drawer, she pulled out some bacta and set to work applying it to her wounds as best she could, letting out a small sigh of relief as she felt some of the pain fade away. Her head still throbbed from hitting the ground, but she knew that would fade away after she settled into her hammock for the night. After grabbing her portion of food for the day, as well as her trusty staff, Rey headed outside, her eyes automatically going to the sky as she settled into her usual spot to eat.

She often sat here until long after the suns faded into the horizon, watching the stars and imagining what it would feel like to leave Jakku. She knew it was a silly thing to think about – her, a slave girl – being granted permission, and freedom, to leave this planet. Still, she dreamed of it. She wasn't meant to be a slave, deep inside she knew this. Rey had always known this. No one was truly meant to be a slave!

Finishing her portion and the water in her bottle, Rey smiled as she settled one of her treasures on her head. She had found the helmet inside the wreckage of an X Wing nearby, and she liked to put it on and imagine flying one of them, the laser cannons blasting away at the enemy as she helped the Resistance fight against the First Order.

She watched as a ship streaked across the night sky as it engaged its hyperdrive, and Rey sighed sadly before standing and stretching, wincing slightly as the wounds on her back protested, knowing it was time to settle into her hammock for the night.

….

Ben was brought out of his silent musings as he felt something disturbing the Force nearby. He knew it wasn't Jaina, she was in her quarters speaking with Jag, so that left him only one option. Something was happening to Rey, and it was sending a wave of worry and pain through him. The girl was nothing to him, so Ben didn't exactly understand just why this was affecting him so much, but he knew he must act. He hated seeing anyone being hurt, and as a Jedi it was his duty to protect those who were being harmed.

The door to Jaina's quarters flew open, and Ben met her concerned eyes, nodding at her. "I feel it, too. I need to go, Jai."

"Be careful, Ben," his sister said, watching as he stood and left the ship before she went back to her quarters, determined to keep an eye on things in case Ben needed her.

Ben stalked through the streets of the Outpost, trying to keep the anger within him at bay. Someone in pain never sat well with him, but knowing it was _her_ practically had his blood boiling for some reason. He tried desperately to find balance, repeating a Jedi mantra he had learned during his training at his Uncle's Praxeum.

 _There is no emotion, there is only peace. There is no emotion, there is only peace. There is no emotion, there is only peace._

It didn't help. Ben could feel the rage coiled tightly in his gut still. Something surged through the Force – determination? Yet, he continued to feel a sense of pain, then… peace? Stopping outside what could only be described as a ramshackle hut, Ben looked around carefully for a place to slip into the shadows until it was time for him to act.

Ben slid into the shadows behind the dwelling, closing his eyes and trying his best to find focus. He was unsettled – unbalanced – and as he heard the door open, he could sense the pain and determination within Rey as she left, getting on a speeder and heading out of the Outpost. Ben wasn't worried about following her yet – he had business to attend to before he used the Force to locate her.

Stepping from out of the shadows, Ben approached the hut, kicking the door open to find a Crolute male within, his eyes wide with surprise as he turned to see who had intruded upon his home, his whip in his hand in an instant after he realized that it was a stranger who had just entered his home. Letting out an angry roar, Marska flicked his wrist, the whip unfurling and heading in an arc for Ben's face.

Putting a hand up, Ben force stopped the Crolute with ease, a smirk coming to his lips at the look of surprise on the man's face. "Yes, I'm one of those pesky Jedi everyone is so afraid of here. Tell me, you insignificant piece of bantha offal, do you enjoy hurting women that are half your size?" Tilting his head to one side, Ben called his lightsaber to him, igniting it with a quick flick of his finger as he started to circle Marska. "I think you enjoy it too much. I think you enjoy the power. You disgust me."

Swinging his lightsaber out in a quick arc, Ben brought the weapon down on Marska's hand, severing it cleanly, a wicked glint in his eyes as he looked at the Crolute, who was watching in horror as his hand holding the whip fell to the floor. "I doubt you or your boss have the credits to get you a replacement hand, do you?"

Leaning in, Ben pushed out with the Force, planting the needed coercion in Marska's brain. "You will never harm Rey, or any other woman, again. You lost your hand in a sabacc game, you were cheating and there was a fight." Watching Marska, his eyes narrowed and the Force roaring inside him, Ben stood, lightsaber at the ready, until he heard the Crolute mutter in a guttural voice, "I will never harm Rey or any other woman again. I lost my hand in a sabacc game. I was cheating and there was a fight."

Ben nodded in satisfaction after hearing the words, waving his hand and causing the Crolute to fall limply to the floor. Using the Force once more, Ben reached into Marska's head , erasing his memory of their encounter from his brain. Turning, Ben exited the hut, stopping in the street and reaching out with the Force, sending it in an outward pattern until he sensed Rey's presence. She was no longer in the Outpost, but he could see her surroundings as she sat outside the AT-AT, an old Rebel pilot's helmet perched on her head. Ben let a smile come to his face at the sight, deciding that he would simply watch her for a bit before he went to her home.

Once Rey had headed inside, Ben stopped watching her, not wanting to infringe on her privacy. Instead, he found an unused speeder and headed out of the Outpost, using the Force to help him pinpoint where she was in the sand dunes of Jakku. Once he was within walking distance, he stopped the speeder, choosing to approach the AT-AT on foot.

He found himself growing anxious for another glimpse of her as he walked, and his heart was racing in his chest as the old, defunct AT-AT came into sight. Moving silently for a man his size, Ben approached what he had seen was the entrance to her home, pondering how best to let his presence be known. After a moment's thought, he decided the direct approach was the best, and so he stepped up to what posed as a door, reaching out with an uncommonly shaky hand, striking the durasteel three times lightly, hoping he wouldn't scare the woman within half to death.

…

Rey was settled into her hammock, a threadbare blanket pulled underneath her head for a makeshift pillow as she closed her eyes. With a small sigh, she tried to picture her ocean, the sun sparkling off the waves, the endless blue stretching as far as she could see, when she heard a rapping on the durasteel of the hatch doubling as the door to her home. Her eyes wide, she reached out and grabbed her staff – which was never far from her reach when she was home – and scrambled out of her bed.

Her heart was racing in her chest as she took a defensive position, ready to fight if someone came bursting in. Instead, she was greeted with silence. It could be one of the scavengers she had dealt with before, simply looking for a place to sleep for the night, so Rey went to the hatch, her staff still at the ready as she said sharply, "Who is it?"

A gasp left her lips when a man's voice answered her. She had tried to keep _him_ out of her head since they had met earlier in the day – but his eyes were so warm, so expressive – that she had found herself thinking of him several times before she reminded herself that she shouldn't, she _mustn't_ have thoughts about a man.

"I met you earlier. In the alley. My name is Ben, and I… I need to talk to you. I'm sorry for waking you."

Rey crept closer to the door, her staff still in hand. This could all be a trick, after all, even though the voice did sound like the man's. He could also mean to hurt her, to steal from her, or even to… to do things to her like Snake and Mumbles wanted to do. No, she couldn't talk to this man, and she certainly couldn't let him into her home.

Letting her voice take on a confident, annoyed tone, Rey answered Ben. "Go away. I don't want to talk to you. If Master Plutt finds out you are here, he will punish me and have his boys run you out of town. You don't want that, so please, go away." For some reason, the words leaving her lips felt wrong, and Rey found herself hoping he wouldn't leave.

With an anticipation she didn't fully understand, Rey found herself waiting to see if he would stay, or walk away into the Jakku night.


	5. Revelations In The Night

Ben sighed, running a hand through his hair. He could sense that she didn't want him to leave, and that she was afraid. Looking around into the darkness of the Jakku night, Ben folded his legs under him and sat, waiting to see what Rey would do next.

…

Rey crept even closer to the door of her AT- AT, somehow sensing that the man – Ben, he had said his name was Ben – was still outside waiting for her. Biting her bottom lip as she thought about her next move, Rey made her decision quickly, throwing the door open with her staff in hand and stepping outside, ready to defend herself if necessary.

She stopped as her eyes found Ben, sitting in the sand with his legs crossed, his eyes closed and his large hands resting on his knees. Without opening his eyes, the man – Ben, she had to remember to call him by his name! – spoke, his voice a low rumble in the stillness of the night air - "Hello, Rey."

He opened his eyes, seeking her out, and Rey felt a blush color her face as their eyes met. She had never seen a man with eyes quite so deep and expressive, and she found she liked them. Remembering that her Master forbid her from such practices, though, had her quickly looking at the sand, her voice small and barely a whisper as she replied, "Hello, Sir."

"Ben. My name is Ben, Ben Solo."

Rey nodded in response, her eyes not leaving the sand.

"You can call me that, Rey. There is no one else here but us. Plutt won't know I'm here. You're safe to talk to me."

Rey shook her head, her heart racing as panic threatened to overtake her.

 _Master will find out! He has eyes everywhere on Jakku! He will know, he'll find out I've been talking to a Jedi, and he will punish me even more! He'll take away my AT-AT and make me sleep with the other girls!_

"I can't talk to you, Sir. I… Master will punish me when he finds out you're here. Please… please leave!"

Rey's bottom lip quivered as she spoke. She didn't want the Jedi – _Ben!_ – to leave, but she was scared, especially after the beating Marska had given her earlier tonight. Next time would be even worse, and she couldn't bear to lose her house!

Ben rose from the sand, brushing the annoying substance off his clothing as best he could before he looked down at Rey. He sensed an inner compassion and kindness within her, as well as fear. Plutt truly had her completely under his thumb, and Ben felt the familiar pull of anger calling to him from somewhere deep within.

"I know what happened earlier," Ben said softly, "And it wasn't right. No one should be enslaved to another person, Rey, and no one should be beaten for simply talking to another person. You feel the same way inside, don't you? What would you say if I told you that Marska will never beat you again?"

Rey's eyes widened at his words, and she felt a small sense of something deep within her come to life. Looking up from the sand, her hazel eyes met his brown, her voice still small, but now filled with hope as she asked, "He won't? But… how? He will do what Master Plutt tells him to do!"

A small smile came to Ben's eyes, his eyes flashing with something that was almost delight as he remarked, "Because, he no longer has a hand to beat anyone with. I cut it off."

Rey's eyes widened even more, her mouth forming an 'o' of surprise as she backed away from the Jedi, the makeshift door to the AT-AT finally stopping her retreat. This man, this Jedi, Ben, he was dangerous, and even though Rey knew she should be afraid – she wasn't. She somehow felt safe with him here.

"You… I'm sorry. I am… but Master Plutt is going to punish me, you… you need to leave." Rey's eyes went back to the sand, and then she was hearing his voice inside her head.

"Rey. I am not going to leave. Plutt won't find out. We need to talk."

Rey let out a squeak of surprise at Ben's mental voice, her eyes going to his as she tried to shrink more into the doorframe of the AT-AT. "How… How did you do that? I… I heard _you_ … in my _head_."

"I used the Force," Ben replied, a small smile on his lips as he watched Rey. "Can I show you, Rey?"

Rey found herself nodding at Ben. She knew he would never bring harm to her – he had defended her, after all, from Snake and Mumbles.

"Good. Please, sit down. Sit like I was earlier, when you come outside. Legs crossed under you."

Rey hesitated for a moment. Was this some sort of plan to hurt her? No – this was Ben – he wouldn't harm her. He wasn't Plutt or one of his boys – but it was so hard for her to trust anyone. Giving trust to another person was not something Rey had ever done – trusting someone got you hurt or robbed in Niima Outpost.

She found herself folding her legs under her a moment later, though, looking up into those kind brown eyes after she did so.

"Wonderful. This is called the meditation pose. It's what Jedi use when they need to find their inner balance by meditating. Now… in the alley earlier, when you pulled that piece of the building down, do you remember feeling anything different when that happened? Something deep inside, maybe?"

Rey thought back to her encounter in the alley with Snake and Mumbles. She had felt fear, certainly, and a certain determination to get away from them. But something else had happened inside her too, right before that piece of the building had come crashing down. The only way she could describe it was that something inside her, far inside her, had come alive – and it had been there ever since. She could feel it even now, like the whisper of the universe calling out to her.

Rey looked up at Ben finally, nodding at him. "Yes, something… something woke up inside me, I guess? I feel it now, it's inside me and it's calling to me. It's like the whole Universe is kind of whispering to me, somehow. It's… frightening, yet comforting all at once. How can that be?" Her eyes reflected her thoughts – Ben saw both fear and comfort within their hazel depths.

Ben nodded, a small smile coming to his lips again. "That's the Force, Rey. The Force is a powerful thing, when it awakens in a person. The Force is everywhere, it's in everything. Close your eyes for me."

Rey looked at Ben for a moment, pondering his words. Even though everything inside her was telling her she could trust him, she had been alone and afraid, looking out for herself, for too long, and to trust so blindly was a struggle. With a small sigh, Rey finally closed her eyes, waiting for Ben to speak again.

"Clear your mind, Rey. Let yourself fall within yourself, into the very core of your being. You should feel the Force there speaking to you."

Rey tried her best to clear her mind, picturing herself falling as Ben spoke. And then, suddenly, she felt it – the Force – and it was the most beautiful, magical thing she had ever experienced.

 _Warmth. Cold. Joy. Sadness. Life. Death. Pain. Pleasure. Love. Hate. Darkness. Light. Power. Weakness. Subjugation. Liberation._

 **Balance.**

With a gasp, Rey opened her eyes, looking up at Ben, a genuine smile coming to her lips as she stood excitedly. "I… I felt it Ben – the Force! Stars, it was… it was so… I can't describe it!"

Ben loved the look in Rey's eyes. It was almost as if she had been living her life half alive, just going through the motions, and to see the light come into her eyes and watch her realize she was fully alive was a precious gift that only he got to receive. Nodding, he let a laugh leave his lips. "Yes, it is rather hard to describe. I remember the first time I truly connected to the Force. I think I was 8 or 9, and I was mad because my older brother Jacen was trying to take a toy away from me. I used the Force to pull it into my hands without even knowing what I was doing. A few months later, and I was at my Uncle Luke's Praxeum to start my training."

Rey's eyes were glowing with unshed tears as she listened to Ben. "What's a Praxeum?" She had never heard the word before, and she asked the question without really thinking about the fact that Ben might think her question an ignorant one – but Rey had never been off of Jakku, and slaves didn't get the benefit of an education. Rey had to soak up whatever knowledge she came across from the people who travelled to Jakku for business with her Master by listening to them and filing little tidbits away in her brain for later analysis.

Her question didn't seem to faze the tall Jedi, as he graced her with another gentle smile. "The Jedi Praxeum. It's a training facility run by my Uncle. Luke Skywalker."

Rey's eyes widened as she looked at Ben, her mouth again falling open in shock. She knew that name – everyone in the Galaxy knew the name Luke Skywalker. He was a great Jedi Knight, and one of the Heroes of the Rebellion that brought down the old Empire. And this man standing before her was his _nephew_?

"You… you're related to Luke Skywalker? So, he's real?"

Ben threw back his head slightly, his laugh echoing off the durasteel of the AT-AT into the night air. "Oh, yes, Uncle Luke is very real, as are my parents, Leia Organa and Han Solo."

Rey kept the same wide-eyed expression, and she shook her head softly. Two more legends, two more heroes of the Rebellion – and their _son_ was standing in front of her, all handsome and warm and so very kind. No one would ever believe her if she were to tell them – Rey was having trouble believing it herself!

"I… wow. I mean, I've heard the stories as I worked. Moving through the outpost, I would overhear some of the smugglers and traders telling stories to some of the children and the older people about your family. I just never thought about them being real, breathing people – just as some heroes in stories, I guess. I'm sorry – that must sound so stupid to you. I haven't really ever been able to talk to people outside of Master's other slaves – he won't allow it." Rey's eyes fell back to the sand, her expression losing some of the light it had only a moment before.

"It's okay, Rey. It's not stupid. You'd be surprised how often we hear it when we tell people who we are related to. Rey… you know you're not meant to be a slave, don't you? No one should be a slave – no one can own another person." Reaching out with one hand, Ben lifted Rey's chin gently so that she was looking at him. "Don't do that. You are a person, with your own mind and your own spirit that can never be broken. I don't want you to look down when you are with me, like you're my lesser. Because you aren't. You're my equal, and I will not treat you as anything but; do you understand, Rey?"

Tears brimmed in Rey's eyes as she looked into Ben's eyes. Finally, Rey nodded, something inside her changing with his words. Her heart, which she had carefully protected her entire life, woke up, and the happiness she felt inside was something she would revisit over and over again after Ben left Jakku – because she knew without a doubt he would be leaving again – no one even wanted to come to Jakku, much less _stay_. But she would remember Ben Solo as being the person who woke up her heart for the rest of her life, of that Rey was certain.

"Thank you," she said tearfully.

The raw emotion in Rey's eyes made Ben's throat clench, and he found he had to swallow hard, past the lump in his throat, before answering her. "You're welcome, Rey."

Now it was Ben's turn to look down at the sand under their feet for a moment, trying to come up with his next move regarding Rey. He wanted to extend his Uncle's offer to her, but he felt she wasn't ready to hear it. Something had her tethered to Jakku besides her status as a slave, Ben sensed that within her. Until she could let go of that, he doubted she would leave.

Looking up and running a hand through his hair, Ben gave Rey a smile. "I would like to come see you again tomorrow night, if that's okay with you? Don't worry about Plu- your Master - finding out. I can handle that. I need to show you some things so that you can handle your new connection to the Force. May I come back, Rey?"

Nodding her head as she blinked back tears, Rey found that for the first time in her life, she had something to look forward to besides sleeping. "Yes, Ben. I'd like that."

Inclining his head briefly, Ben smiled and turned towards his waiting speeder. Reaching into his pocket, Ben tossed a small package he had grabbed as he left the _Nevermore_ earlier to Rey, watching as she caught it with ease. She looked at him questioningly, and Ben smiled at her.

"There's a med kit in there, and some food for you. I'll see you tomorrow, Rey. If… if you need something, all you have to do is _think_ to me. Use the Force. You'll figure it out, and I'll be listening. Night, Rey."

Rey watched as Ben sped off into the night, clutching the package close to her heart for a long time after the sound of the speeder faded.

"Night, Ben," she said softly as she turned to go inside her home.


End file.
